In CIA’s tenth episode, “Rare Earth,” the investigation is tense and layered once again, and the partnership between Colin and Bill moves into uncharted territory. This episode raises the stakes on all fronts with political intrigue, cartel involvement, and a deepening mole investigation.
International Investigation Into Murder of Diplomat
The episode opens in Honduras, where a miner discovers a rich lode of rare-earth mineral. A sample is quietly passed through the system until it reaches Honduran diplomat Padilla, who later arranges a late-night meeting with a business contact at a bar.
Padilla wants more money for the deal and the meeting quickly turns south. The woman walks away, and seconds later Padilla is struck and killed in what at first looks like a garbage truck accident.
Back in New York, Colin and Bill are on their way to Colin’s house when Nikki calls them back to the office. Colin warns Bill that their investigation of the mole must remain confidential before he joins the team, especially since he suspects that Pyramid Security may be connected to both the mole and Toni’s death.
At headquarters, Nikki and Gina bring the team up to speed on Padilla’s suspicious entry into the United States—and sudden death. The team immediately suspects espionage, as the Honduran government denies knowing he was in the country.
Colin Discovers an Important Clue
Bill suggests checking out the crime scene and doing some old-fashioned sleuthing. The NYPD is not pleased with federal involvement, but they cooperate.
Colin surreptitiously picks a mineral sample from Padilla’s belongings as he surveys the scene. Security video leads them to the garbage truck in question.
Their investigation leads them to the truck driver, Bobby, who admits someone paid him $2,000 cash to borrow his vehicle for several hours. Bobby says he didn’t know the guy and he lost the money in a poker game later.
This affirms the suspicion of Colin and Bill that the death of Padilla was an orchestrated assassination rather than an accident.
Security Breach Brings More Questions
Back at the office Gina finds out that her workstation was used to search a location in Montana. When she tells Nikki about the break-in, Nikki, to Gina’s astonishment, shrugs it off, telling her never to speak of Montana again.
The odd reply instantly arouses suspicion.
Meanwhile, Zeeb examines the mineral sample brought back by Colin, and determines it to be neodymium, a rare-earth element of great value, used in advanced technology.
The team starts to consider the geopolitical ramifications, especially with China now controlling much of the world’s rare-earth market.
Tracing Padilla’s Last Communications
The investigation moves to the bar where Padilla had his last meeting. Colin adds a little creative pressure on the bar owner, pretending to arrest him for selling alcohol to minors.
The trick worked, and the owner managed to find the woman Padilla met that night, who left her credit card behind.
The card leads the team to Angeline, who confesses her logistics company was in talks with Padilla to promote the neodymium discovery. She confirms Padilla spoke of two more business partners but never identified them.
The NSA Connection and Another Killing
Zeeb finds evidence of shadow surveillance in Padilla’s phone data. Bill could see it was a modified StingRay system, the kind that would take high-level clearance.
The evidence points to NSA official Robert Davis. Robert says he had nothing to do with it and that someone is trying to set up the NSA.
Before they can proceed any further, Zeeb discovers another active surveillance operation, this one on Guatemalan diplomat Juan Ramos.
The team rushes in to try and stop it, but it’s too late. For example, Ramos is already dead.
Colin spots the assassin, Luis, dressed as a hotel worker and after a brief chase they manage to apprehend him.
Kidnappings, Cartels and a Deadly Ultimatum
During the interrogation it is revealed that Luis is part of the Los Olivados cartel, but he refuses to cooperate since his daughter is still in Mexico.
At the same time, Gina’s thermal imaging verifies that Central America might have significant deposits of rare earths. The team believes the cartel learned of the diplomats and wanted to take control of the operation before any legitimate business deals could be made.
Colin’s notes on Robert’s stress behavior make them suspect him once more.
On closer inspection, it turns out that Robert’s wife and daughter had disappeared six days earlier.
Colin and Bill confront him and Robert finally tells the truth; his family was kidnapped and he was forced to help identify three diplomatic targets.
Two of the targets are already dead. The third is still at risk.
Colin’s grey-area tactics
Bill agrees reluctantly to allow Colin to use his unorthodox interrogation techniques to move forward.
Colin plays on Luis’s concern for his daughter, offering to protect him and move him to America for information.
Luis finally cracks and drops his cartel contacts.
The team quickly confirms his information and begins two simultaneous operations, one to rescue Robert’s family, the other to protect the final target.
Operations can encounter problems but both missions are successful and all are rescued safely.
Nikki grows suspicious
After the case is closed Nikki meets with Jubal and asks him what Montana, Toni and Bill were up to.
Jubal says he doesn’t know anything, Bill might be acting under the CIA’s authority.
Nikki doesn’t look convinced.
Colin later invites Bill to his place, where he finally shows him his investigation board, confessing that he’s been hunting the mole ever since Toni died.
Episode Review
“Rare Earth” feels like a major turning point for the case and the characters.
The biggest change is in the relationship between Bill and Colin. Bill, for instance, had at one point thought that Colin was the mole, but now he not only trusts him, he actively protects Colin’s secrets and supports his morally complicated methods.
Meanwhile Colin begins to lower his emotional defences and allow Bill into his personal investigation, displaying a level of vulnerability we have not seen before.
But perhaps the biggest mystery now is Nikki.
And her reaction to Gina’s Montana find was simply too controlled to be ignored. You never know if she’s hiding something, protecting someone, or part of the bigger conspiracy.
The episode does a good job of moving the larger story along, while keeping the viewers guessing. The Pyramid Security, Toni’s death, and the Montana mystery are all still unresolved.